


Dancing in the Snow

by Tiger_Millionare



Category: Yuri!!! on Ice (Anime)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Alternate Universe - Medieval, M/M, Merchant!Yuuri, Prince!Victor
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-12-15
Updated: 2017-01-22
Packaged: 2018-09-08 16:44:11
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 14,314
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8852533
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Tiger_Millionare/pseuds/Tiger_Millionare
Summary: There were very few instances in Yuuri's life he could say he felt fully satisfied with existence. He never really wanted to take over his parents inn, and even life as a merchant wasn't nearly as satisfying as he'd expected. But that one day in the palace, not even day really, that one moment with the prince, Victor, was the only thing Yuuri had to define his whole world on.Sadly, Yuuri can't live in the past, and commoners are far from worthy of muddling the presence of royalty.





	1. Leid

**Author's Note:**

> First and foremost, the chapter titles are in Russian. I won't translate them every time, but for courtesy's sake I'll tell you this time it means "Ice".
> 
> I haven't seen many AU's whatsoever for this fandom, and I've always been a complete sucker for fantasy fics, and in the spirit of the end of season 1 I figured I'd post this little fic I've been working on.

Yuuri had only ever seen the prince once.

It had been short, only a moment, no more than a couple minutes, on official business in the palace and it had been a very long time ago.

He couldn't have been more than sixteen at the time. And he may well be one of the best merchants in Capitol City, but even a man who'd made as much of himself as Yuuri had was hardly worth enough to hold audience with royalty. He was still a commoner after all, not of noble blood, even if his goods were top of the line.

But just the thought that his foodstuffs graced royal lips made everything worth it. Perhaps that was one of the reasons his wares were of such a high caliber: with each slab of meat he cured, with each bundle of spices he so meticulously accumulated and packed, he did so knowing that one day they might touch Viktor Nikiforov's fair lips. Whiter than snow. Smooth, perfect lips.

He was fixated. He knew he was, Yuuri wasn't denying it. Had been since the man had effectively stolen his breath seven years ago, and had consumed his thoughts ever since. They crossed through his mind far more often than he'd like to admit, especially during long trips between towns. And with so much time left to nothing but open thought, the mind had a tendency to wander perhaps even further.

Yuuri shrugged his knapsack higher on his shoulder, repositioning the uncomfortable lump so that it might lay more comfortably. The straps had been digging rather painfully into his shoulders for quite some time now, and he was sure the red, blistery marks had long since started forming. He rubbed his shoulder, letting out a small groan.

He'd been walking all day and hadn't even reached the city limits. There was still a pretty sizeable patch of forest he had yet to maneuver through, and even once he got there he'd still have to fight his way through the crowded streets of Capitol City. He glanced at the sky, summing up it was probably somewhere near seven or eight in the evening. The sky, while fading, was still a musty orange in color. It was already September, but the world seemed to be clinging to the final long days of summer with a sort of desperation Yuuri honestly couldn't blame it for. It's not that he disliked the winter, more that it was insanely boring. The season for merchants was Spring to Fall, leaving him nothing to do during the colder months but sit around and wait for the ice to thaw.

The enormous wall of the city began to rise behind the tree line, just barely in view but very apparent in its vastness. Yuuri knew from experience, it would still be another couple hours at least before he'd reach the gate. He tried to keep his mind from his aching feet, both of which felt dangerously close to falling off with each passing second or from the burning pain in his shoulders.

He...supposed he could do with a small break. It couldn't hurt, and he more than deserved it at this point. It wasn't like he had anywhere in particular to be, anyway. Plus, he'd been making good time, hadn't stopped most of the day. He was so tired, he could barely think, barely see. It felt like there was this ever-present fog clouding up his head and vision barely there at first but with each step it became thicker to a point he felt he might fall over.

Yuuri stumbled towards a rather sturdy looking oak, only thought that he didn't collapse before he made it over. He let his pack slump roughly off his back, crashing to the forest floor, hissing an immense sigh of relief as the muscles in his shoulders began to unwind for the first time that day. He wasted no time in falling against the oak and sinking down, the rough bark of the tree scratching at the back of his leather coat as he fell.

He was asleep before he'd even hit the ground.

\--

Yuuri didn't have dreams.

He'd always been a practical person, both asleep and awake. Sleep was for regaining energy lost in the day, for rejuvenating one's body and polishing one's evasiveness, nothing more. And luckily, Yuuri's subconscious agreed with the notion. So when he  _did_ happen to have the occasional night time fantasy, it was something of a marvel for him.

He was surrounded by ice.

It was cold, so much so it felt like his own flesh and bone had turned to ice, and yet for some reason, it was a calming cold. Comfortably pleasant against his face and skin. Yuuri felt himself relax in ways he hadn't since he was a child, back at his parent's hot spring in the snow. He did, he felt young again, full of energy and when he looked down at his hands he realized he was. Stumpy fingers and short legs, and a smile broke across his face.

Tall pines rose all around him, great titans against the gray winter scape, rebelling and pushing ever further into the sky. But where he stood there were no trees. Only the clearing, with the frozen lake and at its center Yuuri. He recognized this place, all too well. It was not ten minutes from the small village he'd been raised in. He used to come here during the winters, whenever he could break away. It was his safe place, his secret refuge.

Yuuri's smile broadened, and he slid across the ice in big, long circles. He wasn't wearing shoes, but somehow the ice didn't bother him. In fact, it felt warm, somehow. He glided across the lake, slipping and twisting on the frozen water, and he suddenly had the same joyful rush he'd had when ice skating as a kid.

He didn't know why, or how, but he felt so much more peaceful now, in youth. It's not like he was in a bad spot or anything, not that his whole merchant business was far from successful. In fact, he was far better off than he ever dreamed he could be, but he just didn't have that same feeling of, well, oneness he'd had back in the village.

And suddenly Yuuri could feel his feet morphing, and they were no longer bare but covered in soft leather skates. And he danced across the ice in ways he hadn't in years. He couldn't stop smiling, how could anyone. It was so wonderful, just being able to be free. To skate. And let everything else fall away.

At one point he began openly laughing, even whooping a few times as he spun and danced across the lake. The ice was his stage and he the sole performer, whipping about in the solitude of trees. It had begun to snow, small, light drifts of crystal, and it felt warm on his bare skin. Like an old friend.

Yuuri tried for a jump. He hadn't done one in years and had always been too afraid to try one again once he'd fallen out of practice. He landed perfectly on the ice, like no time had passed at all. And then he tried a double. And it was only on the triple he felt himself begin to slip, and he was struck with the horrific thought the dream could end once he hit the ice. And he was struck with the horrific thought that it was a dream at all.

And then he jolted up against the tree, fully grown and knocking over his knapsack.

Yuuri coughed once, cheeks heating slightly, although he soon realized there was no one around to see his blunder. He shook his head, righting his bag, and rising to his feet with some minor difficulty. For some reason, something in the pit of his stomach ached, something that spread through his muscles and bones making them feel weak and useless, and he had to use a branch to support himself as he shakily rose.

Yuuri blinked away the dark spots at the edges of his vision. He must have been out a while, because he still couldn't seem to shake this weird feeling of disorientation. He felt like he'd just woken from a year-long sleep.

It took him a second to get his bearings enough he could bend over and right his pack again, but even after that he still couldn't shake that feeling of unease. What it was, he hadn't a clue.

He felt cold. The back of his neck prickled. His breath came in small puffs of white and all the little hairs on his arms were on end. He didn't feel alone. And he didn't think that was a good thing.

It was dark now. Darker than it should have been. How long had he been asleep? There was no moon out, and the meager light of the stars did hardly anything for him. It was...eery.

He needed to get moving.

Grabbing his knapsack and slinging it over his shoulder, he stumbled over a large, protruding root in a sort of frantic haste that had taken over him. It was so dark, he could barely see two feet in front of him, and he kept crashing into bushes and low-hanging branches, but he didn't slow his pace.

He felt like something was watching him, could feel its eyes boring holes into the back of his head as he made his way through the forest, his legs still too sore to move any faster than a brisk walk.

Phantom Spirits didn't exist. Not here. Not for hundreds of years, but Yuuri wasn't taking any chances. He'd heard the stories, told as cautionary tales to young children or more gruesome ones around a hearth in dark whispers from fellow travelers. About people that would never come back from the Dark Oak wood, or would be discovered weeks later in such a mangled state they were hardly recognizable.

Well, he supposed, that could be for a number of reasons. They called it "wood" but it was more of a forest, an ocean of trees that stretched on for hundreds and hundreds of acres. It took a whole two or three days travel just to get through the thinnest of it.

Although as one who was more than familiar with the wood, if any lingering remnants of magic existed anywhere, they'd exist here.

It was best he kept moving.

\--

Yuuri gripped the hard burlap straps of his pack, shifting his weight foot to foot as he stared up at the momentous stone wall that marked the border of the city.

He'd made it here in less time than he'd expected, in his hurry, and as he'd pressed on that odd feeling of being watched had begun to fade to the point he began to wonder if it had been there in the first place, or if the dark had just spooked him to the point he was feeling things. He shook his head. Yuuri should know better than to think like that. He'd absolutely love to sum it up as a trick of the mind from sleepless days of travel, but he was far too superstitious for that sort of thing.

Which is why he didn't want to stand there dawdling outside the city any longer. He still had no idea how long he'd been out, but it was likely long enough to make Yuuko worry anyhow.

"Katsuki. Yuuri Katsuki, seeking entrance into the city." He addressed the tired guard with a smile. He must be new, Yuuri didn't remember ever seeing his face before. He looked young, probably younger than Yuuri was. God, that made him feel old.

The guard nodded, eyeing his pack but saying nothing.

"Oh, did you want to check?" Yuuri sprung up, reaching for his pack.

The guard waved his hand with a long sigh Yuuri couldn't exactly place. "Don't bother, I'll trust you. It's almost the end of my shift anyways, and you don't really look like the kind of person to cause any trouble. You can pass." Well, if he was new, he was much better than that old crab that'd preceded him.  _He'd_ always made Yuuri dump out his entire bag, forcing him to go through and inspect each and every individual item to the point it would usually take within an hour just sifting through bundles of this and that.

Yuuri smiled gratefully at the man as he waved him through into the cluttered streets of the capital.

It may be late, but as they said the capital never slept. The streets were still clustered with any manner of night owl, although it was notably a thinner group than Yuuri had expected he'd have to push through. Which meant the extra time he'd thought he'd had was all but gone, and then some.

He pushed past slumping graveyard-shifters and excitable groups of party-goers, although this far out most that filled the streets were drunks, wasted off their asses.

Yuuri wrinkled his nose at the overpowering stench of alcohol and bad breath that swamped the air. He'd never been much of a drinker, he hated what it did to people. Or well, hated what it did to  _him_ specifically as did most blackout drunks.

It'd still be a while before he got to Yuuko and Takeshi's place, so he busied himself with counting the cobblestones as he walked along the street. He tried to step on as few as possible to see if he could keep the count lower than last time, so his steps were often long and awkward, and he'd occasionally hop from stone to stone. Ironic, he must have looked just as drunk as everyone else in the street.

Yuuri was so consumed in his cobblestone hopping, he was only at 328 much better than last time, that he didn't even notice the other man until he rather rudely ran straight into him.

The other was taller than him and appeared to have been just as distracted as Yuuri, for he knocked into the poor merchant full force. Yuuri crashed against the stone, splitting pain across his back and sending his pack skidding a few feet from him and spilling its contents all over the street in the process. Yuuri groaned, rubbing the back of his neck. He was just about ready to strangle whatever drunk idiot had just run into him.

He sat up, wincing at the stab of pain from moving too quickly. "Hey, watch where you're going," Yuuri grit out irritably. The other didn't respond, didn't move. At least he wasn't trying to bolt, Yuuri thought. He could give the asshole that much.

He glanced up, expecting to see some fat old man bent over and so drunk and stupid he couldn't speak properly. But the fair face and guilty, uncertain blue eyes, canopied by perfect silver bangs hiding beneath a thick black hood knocked whatever profanity Yuuri'd thought up right out of his head. Instead he stuttered, "I...Uh..." unable to come up with a coherent thought.

"Oh, oh I'm so sorry, that was completely my fault. I wasn't watching where I was going...oh, can I help you up?" The stranger extended a perfect, pedicured hand. Yuuri noticed it was decorated with several silver rings, simple shining bands, some decorated by small purple or blue stones. Yuuri could only stare. He knew this man. No, he couldn't, it couldn't possibly be him, but yet...there he was.

The man squirmed, a bit uncertain, under Yuuri's blank stare, eventually letting his hand drop back to his side gracefully. "Sorry, um..." he repeated, quieter this time. It was like he didn't know how to behave in this sort of situation. Not like he was nervous per say, just unsure.

Yuuri shook his head, trying to will himself to think coherently again. "It's, uh, no trouble," he pushed himself up, voice quieter than the stranger's and yet somehow the other had seemed to hear Yuuri perfectly by his almost immediate, gratifying nod. "It was my fault anyway. I wasn't watching where I was going, I was, um..." Yuuri's eyes slid to the side, cheeks heating slightly. What'd he thought he was going to say? Admit that he, a fully grown man, had been jumping about the street like a child, counting cobblestones?

When he dared look back, he found the man smiling, perfectly straight white teeth nearly knocking his heart out of his chest. It was warm, understanding as if he knew Yuuri's thoughts, and only the tiniest bit condescending, not cynically but more endearing than anything, and it made Yuuri's insides buzz.

He just stared at him for a second, the warmth in his chest beginning to spread and deepen behind his face. "Uh..." he began dumbly, not knowing how to start or finish whatever fleeting, sensible thought had blipped through his head. "Oh, crap!" the outburst made the stranger jolt, eyes lighting up wonderfully in surprise. "My bag!" and then Yuuri was on the ground, scrambling to grab everything that'd spilled. He glared threateningly at a lanky old fellow who'd been eyeing his wares with a suspicious interest for some while now.

The white-haired stranger watched Yuuri frantically grab wrapped bundle after bundle for a second. "Oh! Here, let me help," he wasted no time in stooping down next to Yuuri.

"Th-thanks," Yuuri reached for another package of spices, heart nearly stopping dead in his chest when the man's elbow happened to brush against his upper arm. He snuck a side-glance at the other as the two silently piled spices and cured meats into Yuuri's bag. Judging, making certain. Yuuri still wasn't convinced he was seeing properly, but it hadn't, _couldn't_ have been a trick of the eyes. Not some weird, sleep-deprived fantasy. No, it was really him. He'd only ever seen him once before, but...

The other stood up, flashing Yuuri another perfect smile. "There you go. Again, sorry for all the trouble I seemed to have caused, but I really must be on my way. I'm in somewhat of a hurry, but it was nice meeting you. Do svidaniya!" And with that, he'd already disappeared down the street.

No, Yuuri was certain. He couldn't possibly be anyone else. He'd just miraculously, accidentally knocked straight into the prince, Victor Nikiforov.


	2. Za

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Kinda short chapter, I'll admit it. But I just wanted to get something out there and besides next update will be a good one, just for end of season 1.

Yuuri came from a somewhat modest background. His parents owned a hot spring-inn in the small border village he'd called his home for so many of his early years. It lay just miles above the Southern River that divided this country from the next, so he couldn't claim his childhood had been completely boring. All forms of travelers would come to the inn: foreigners and sometimes even nobility, entering or leaving the country for diplomatic reasons. The general flavor of people passing through was always interesting, and it was all a small town boy such as himself could ever dream of.

He met all kinds of people, full of all kinds of stories. Stories about quests and long journeys, interesting people and tales that sounded so tall Yuuri wondered if half of them were completely made up. He supposed that was what had drawn him into the merchant business in the first place, the stories they had to tell. Their lives sounded like one big adventure after another, always exhilarating and full of purpose.

What they  _hadn't_ told him was how long the silences were, how empty the days of travel could be, how sore your feet and back got from lugging goods day in and day out. Now he did realize most of the better off merchants used pack animals to relieve some of the load, but even if he could afford one his route crossed through terrain that was just too impossible for the poor beasts.

And while he couldn't say he didn't have his fair share of stories to tell, it was hardly worth the awful loneliness that hit the second he was on the road.

But that was beside the point.

All he'd wanted back then was to be a merchant, so much so he decided one day in early summer he wanted to try making it in the "big league" at the market the next town over. He began dutifully making these little grass weavings. They weren't great, he never claimed to be a master craftsman, but it was a favorite pastime of his and one that was easy to fall into for hours at a time.

Beginning of that fall, he set up a little stand next to all the other merchants with their eggs and milk and meats. People would pass by, give him a kind look and buy one, usually out of pity. Yuuri realized his weavings were complete garbage, that people only bought them out of a sense of sympathy, but he didn't stop making them. And he wasn't surprised that when he started to lose his cute kid face, he began to lose money too. About a year after, Yuuri realized it was maybe time to start selling something different.

A lot of travelers that passed through were foreign, and often carried odd and unique goods that were common in their country, but were certainly more valuable in the North. Sometimes, such travelers would throw in items with their inn payments, if they were lacking money or sometimes just out of appreciation.

One day he accidentally took a basket filled with such foreign goods instead of his weavings and was sold out before noon. It struck him that if these goods were so popular so close to the border, they'd be even more so close to the center of the country where they weren't nearly as available. Yuuri had found his new product.

He began trading with foreigners for trinkets, spices, foodstuffs, anything they could spare. For bits of money (as many of them were quite poor) or goods common in his region. And then he'd resell them at a higher price. It wasn't long before his monthly market trips turned into weekly, and eventually daily journeys to multiple cities and eventually he found he was pulling in as much money as his parents. Yuuri was fifteen at the time.

As he branched out further, he gained something of a reputation. People would start requesting his goods by name, and one day one such person happened to be the head chef at the palace in Capitol City. He wanted to make his dishes unique: something special that nobody had tasted before, and figured the spices Yuuri sold would do the trick. Yuuri was able to pull in so much from the palace alone, he began making trips solely to the capital city.

He always stayed at Yuuko's place during his time in the city. She and her husband Takeshi ran one of the inns there, and a highly respected one at that. Yuuko's mother had been good friends with Yuuri's own parents, as fellow inn keepers, and Yuuko had been a very good friend since they were both children. She'd always encouraged him in whatever he did, whether it be weaving or trading or skating.

She'd taken complete control of the inn several years ago after her mother passed, and had made it very clear that Yuuri was welcome there whenever he liked. Although he still had to pay, even if not at full price. And since half his life was spent in the city, he'd taken her up on that offer in kind. They even had a special room for him they never let any of the other guests use.

"Yuuri!" Yuuko beamed, jumping up and embracing Yuuri in a hug he was positive was giving him liver damage. She clung to him like he'd just come back from the dead, giving one final squeeze before releasing a gasping Yuuri to fall to his knees. "Yuuri, you finally made it!" she spouted happily. She paused.

Her face twisted into a sort of pout suddenly, "Hey Yuuri, why are you so late? You were supposed to be here hours ago, do you know how worried we were?! The girls wouldn't go to bed, insisting you were eaten by the boogy man." Yuuko shoved her foot down hard on Yuuri's head, knocking him back down from where he'd begun to rise, leaning forward to emphasize her point.

"I'm not sure those three would have gone to sleep even _if_ I'd gotten here on time," Yuuri muttered aside, quiet enough Yuuko wouldn't hear. "Uh, one of my stops took a little longer than I'd anticipated..." Yuuri said louder, almost sheepishly and a bit strained being bent over under the force of Yuuko's boot.

Yuuko lifted her foot slowly, giving Yuuri a chance to stumble up. "And what's that supposed to mean," she slid out smoothly, crossing her arms loosely over her chest. Yuuri rubbed the top of his head and the bump that was beginning to form there.

"I didn't get much sleep last night, so I decided to rest for a while and, ah, I guess time sort of slipped away from me." Yuuri laughed dryly, the sad sound stuttering off as he saw the concern painted across Yuuko's face.

"Yuuri, you can't go falling asleep just anywhere like that, you should know by now that you've got to be more careful. Those woods are dangerous."

"I'm sure I can handle myself, I've made the trip loads of times before. I practically know the route by heart. And there's nothing  _that_ big around that part of the forest anyway." Yuuri was referring to sightings of savage bears and supersized animals in the westernmost part of the forest that were often reported.

"I know you can. That's...not what I meant," Yuuko's hands fell to clasp uncertainly in front of her, "There've been...rumors lately, floating around. Rumors about odd things people have seen or heard in the woods that they couldn't explain. People going missing, even..." Yuuko trailed off, eyes darting to the side like she couldn't bear to look at Yuuri at this one moment, "Even...showing up dead at the city limits days later."

Yuuri felt stuck, like his mind and body had stopped working together properly. He wondered if he should tell Yuuko about his experience earlier, that feeling of being watched, of being unnaturally cold even though it was barely fall.

No...no she didn't need to worry anymore. She was already concerned as it was, best not say anything. Besides...whatever _that_ had been, if there even  _was_ something in the first place, it hadn't even done anything to him. So he was fine, right?

Yuuri nodded. "Thanks for the warning, but I'm sure I'll be fine. I've known these woods for years. Besides travelers are sure to talk and gossip spreads like wildfire when you have nothing to do all day but daydream. Often times small rumors turn into huge stories, so I honestly wouldn't give them too much credit."

Yuuko glanced up, not looking entirely reassured but nonetheless grateful for Yuuri's attempt. "I don't mean to say you aren't fully capable of taking care of yourself, it's just that..." she broke off, took a deep breath and continued, "I was really worried. I know I don't need to tell you, of all people this, but just. Just be careful for me and Takeshi, and the girls, okay?"

Yuuri took a moment to process her words. He nodded solemnly. "I will," he promised.

He hated worrying Yuuko. He wanted to end the conversation, it was beginning to make him uncomfortable. Yuuri straightened, moving out of the threshold. Yuuko followed. "Anyway, it's late and I haven't slept in a real bed for three days. We can catch up more tomorrow, but right now I'm kinda..."

"Oh! Yes, yes sorry of course, go sleep. I swept out your room earlier, put out some clean sheets too, so everything should be ready."

Yuuri nodded gratefully, beginning to make his way up the old oak stairs that led to the rooms on the second floor.

"Oh, and Yuuri," Yuuri paused, "Goodnight."

Yuuri smiled. He loved being with Yuuko. Even when they were little, no one else had ever made him feel so good inside than her. "Night," he lulled drowsily, before making his way up the stairs.


	3. Stolknoveniye

"Yuuri! You have those coffee beans I asked you to bring last time, right? Get them for me, would you?"

"They're right here," Yuuri held up a sizeable basket of coffee beans. He'd picked them up his last trip to the inn from his good friend in the South, Phichit.

"Could you crush them up for me? I think there's a rolling pin in the basket by the door you can use," Yuuko shouted from across the kitchen where she was pulling a pan of bread from the large stone oven in the corner.

"What? Why do I have to work," Yuuri griped, setting the basket down on the wooden table in the center of the kitchen.

"Because we're letting you stay here, and Takeshi couldn't help this morning."

"But I'm still paying just the same as everyone else," Yuuri's words fell on deaf ears, Yuuko continuing as if she hadn't heard him.

"Come on! Hurry up, we don't have much time before people start waking up."

"I wish I was one of them," Yuuri grumbled under his breath. Yuuko had woken him up long before dawn to help with breakfast. He could be asleep right now. In an actual bed. An actual, soft, clean bed with more than three hours of sleep. Yet here he stood.

"What was that?"

"Nothing, I'm working, I'm working," Yuuri shouted quickly, tone laced with only the smallest hint of annoyance.

Yuuko had put him to work, quite involuntarily, on coffee duty. Crushing up beans, lighting the fire in the stove, boiling large quantities of water, and mixing the crushed bean powder in until the whole pot was filled with black goop. A half hour later Yuuri swore he'd permanently lost all feeling in his fingers. He fell against the wall, attempting to rub coffee stains from his hands.

"Yuuri, what are you doing?" Yuuko strode over, hands falling onto her hips.

"I'm done," Yuuri nodded at the rather large pot of black liquid. Yuuko's eyes slid over to the stove, glimmering for a second in a way that made it look like she was almost impressed. But it faded an instant later and she nodded back at Yuuri.

"Well, then you can help me get it out then," Yuuko grabbed a large tray she'd filled with empty tin cups and dumped it in Yuuri's lap. He stared at them blankly for a second.

"Wait, you want me to run around...doing what, waiting tables, like, like some kind of  _serving girl_?"

Yuuko raised a single eyebrow, challenging, but Yuuri wasn't backing down on this one.

 

Yuuko rolled her eyes, "Just do it, will you? It's not that hard. I don't have Takeshi around to help me today, and I'm overworked enough as it is."

"Well then why can't  _you_ do it and  _I_ stay in the kitchen?"

"Oh well, be my guest. I didn't know you knew how to cook so well, Yuuri."

Yuuri opened his mouth to retort, but couldn't think of anything, instead making a sort of stuttering noise.

"Mmhmm. Didn't think so. Just stop complaining and get to work."

"Why should I? I've already helped enough, and I still haven't gotten nearly enough sleep--"

"I won't make you pay," Yuuko cut in shortly.

Yuuri paused, mouth hung open mid-sentence. "...what?"

Yuuko's eyes slid to the side. "The price of wheat's gone up recently, by quite a bit. We've been finding it harder to make ends meet and keep the tavern open, which you know, is a main source of income for us. So Takeshi had to get a night job as a watchman, and he never has the energy to work in the mornings anymore. If you lent me a helping hand, just until noon and sometimes evenings, I won't charge you for your next three trips, dinners included. Instead of wages, I mean."

Yuuri blinked. That was a good deal, even he realized how much Yuuko was offering him. He was a good, and more than that a  _reliable_ source of revenue for the couple. A bit of money they could consistently count on. So for Yuuko to offer he stay free not just this, but the next few trips as well...her and Takeshi must be in a pretty desperate spot.

Yuuri nodded. "I'll do my best to help in any way I can."

Yuuko's face lit up, "Oh Yuuri, thank you so much, I knew I could count on you!" She sprung forward, wrapping Yuuri in a tight hug and almost knocking the tray of cups off him. Yuuri chuckled, just a bit awkwardly at the intense physical contact.

"Now, I have some more baking to do and  _you_ ," she poked him hard in the chest, "Have some hungry travelers to satisfy, serving girl."

He knew she'd added that on to the end just to bug him, but that didn't mean it pissed him off any less. Yuuko returned to her work with a batch of rolls. Yuuri sighed. He was obviously happy to help such a good friend, but, honestly...what had he just gotten himself into.

He busied himself with ladling liquid ooze into the tin cups. Why'd he gone and agreed so quickly. He should have thought it through first, set down some base rules, like not having to run around the tavern floor as a server. He may not be good friends with many of them, but he was certainly more than familiar with quite a few of the merchants that operated around here, and rumors of the food merchant Yuuri working as a serving girl were sure to spread quickly.

Not to mention how insanely clumsy he was, and he just knew it wouldn't be long before he blundered and spilled something all over some famous noble or something that had happened to wander in here as they occasionally did.

Yuuri squeezed his eyes shut tightly, breathing in and out slowly through his nose. He gripped the sides of the tray tighter, sloshing the contents of the cups. He pushed through the door leading to the tavern floor.

\--

Yuuri slumped against the wall by the door, sinking down until he hit the floor, carelessly letting the empty tray clatter down beside him. It had been every bit as humiliating as he'd imagined it would be. God, he'd never live this down. Free tenancy was one thing, but his reputation as a respectable merchant was entirely another.

Yuuko smacked his head lightly with an empty cup. "Ow," Yuuri mumbled, not having enough energy to sound that annoyed, "What'd you do that for?"

"Stop slumping around complaining, it's putting the guests in a bad mood."

Yuuri grumbled incoherently. From the constant snickers he heard whenever he turned his back, he was sure his serving position was doing the exact opposite.

"Aren't you a merchant? Where's your work ethic? Tired out after three measly hours of serving," Yuuko shook her head. Yuuri was about to interject that sorry it was his first time actually working  _with_ the food instead of just selling it, but Yuuko kept talking, "But...you did a good job. You know, for a newbie." She patted him on the head, sans cup this time, before throwing her apron into a corner and striding from the kitchen.

Finally managing to pull himself up, Yuuri noticed something on the counter that definitely hadn't been there a second ago. It was a beaten metal plate with some sort of berry pastry on it, and a note with his name on it tucked neatly beneath. His stomach growled in agreement.

Yuuri smiled, grabbing the pastry gratefully and stuffing the note into his pocket.

\--

"You saw  _who?!_ " Yuuko was incredulous, her tone betraying more than a minor note of disbelief.

Yuuri turned from his place behind the counter where he'd been polishing a large beer glass. "I'm telling you, I swear it was him, it was Victor."

"The  _prince_. Victor Nikiforov, the  _king's son_ , Victor. Yuuri, you've finally lost it," Yuuko, who'd been scrubbing tables with an old washrag, stopped to stare at Yuuri.

"I swear I did Yuuko, it was him. The eyes, the hair...I mean, how many people have  _you_ seen walking around with white hair and blue eyes? It's just too uncommon."

Yuuko seemed to consider that for a second, leaning gently on the surface of the half-polished wood and tapping a finger to her chin. "Well...I guess you have a point. But...the odds of you just randomly running into the prince are even slimmer, it's just too improbable. I mean, what was he even  _doing_ out in the streets that late? And that far from the palace, not to mention."

"Well..." Yuuri considered his answer for a moment. "He was wearing this big hood," he motioned with his hands around his face, miming how the hood looked, "that covered his face pretty well. Well enough I probably wouldn't have noticed him if I hadn't run right into him. And he was wearing commoner's clothes too. Maybe he just wanted to go for a walk? Or to one of the shops down there or something. And if you think about it, late at night is probably about the only time the streets are clear enough for him to do that without being noticed. Or maybe he was on his way to a party or something..."

Yuuko shook her head, returning to her scrubbing, "I just don't know, Yuuri. I suppose it  _could_ have been, if you're so certain. Maybe. Or maybe you were just so tired you were seeing things." Yuuri opened his mouth to protest, but Yuuko cut him off, "And listen, even if, by some  _miraculous_ chance of fate that  _did_ happen to be Nikiforov, that doesn't mean you should go patrolling the outskirts at night. It's no use obsessing over it any more than you already have."

Yuuri shut his mouth. Yuuko was probably right, and once again he was stuck to wonder if she could read his mind after all these years, because loathe to admit it as he was he  _had_ considered searching the streets for Victor. Yuuko knew full well how he felt about the prince, and how impossible a fantasy that was. She'd always been the voice of reason on matters like this, when Yuuri's thoughts wandered a bit too far and the factual began to mingle with the day dreams.

"Still...I've got to wonder what he was doing out there," Yuuko relented, "I mean if he was there at all. But...it's so strange, you know? What with everything that's going on."

Yuuri stopped his polishing a moment to give her a questioning look. "What do you mean?"

Yuuko's eyes flitted up to his for a moment. "You haven't heard? Well, maybe not. You live quite a ways from the capital, and news travels slowly outside here. But, well there's been a lot of talk lately, about one of the countries that borders us to the west. They've been positioning troops recently, great numbers of them, all along our border. It's got quite a few people around here worried. There's talk about increasing border restrictions, making preparations in case there's conflict...none of it's any good," Yuuko let out a short laugh but there was no humor in it, "You know maybe Victor was just going for a walk. Who knows. Especially with all the pressure he must be under right now."

"Wait, you said they're going to strengthen border control?" Yuuri swallowed, "...everywhere?"

"Well, yeah, I mean in case," Yuuko paused, her hand staying as it finally dawned on her what this meant for Yuuri, "Oh. Oh, no, Yuuri..."

Yuuri, shook his head, returning to his work. "I'll be fine. I'll figure something out, I mean, it's not like they're closing the borders yet or anything, right? I still have sources that'll be able to make it across." That heavy word 'yet' lingered in the air a bit more menacingly than Yuuri would have ever liked.

"But you get all your goods out of country, and I can't imagine foreign opinion is going to be improving anytime in the near future, especially in the capital, so you're in-country business could..."

"I think I'm going to take a walk," Yuuri cut in before she could finish, ducking under the counter.

He didn't want to think, didn't want to be consumed with worry, for the moment, at least. Yuuko didn't follow him, made no attempt to stop him, and for that he was grateful. He just needed some air, clear his head. He walked out onto the street, still teeming with energy from the midday crowd but beginning to wind down in the lull of the afternoon.

He didn't konw where he was going, but he started walking and had no intention of stopping. Just letting his feet move him forward, unthinking, unfeeling.

He'd be fine. Just like he'd told Yuuko. He knew he'd pull through...somehow. He still had people that could make it in, skilled people that, if the necessity ever arose at it likely would, could smuggle goods across the border, and be more than willing to do so at that. But Yuuko had been right, the popularity of foreign goods was sure to nosedive until this whole border kerfuffle had blown over.

Yuuri stayed to the edges of the street, careful to keep out of the way of the main throng of people. He found himself begin to wander towards the limits of the city, and the buildings became gradually less upkept, more worn down and in need of minor repairs. The crowd thinned as he ventured down more and different backstreets, until it was almost nonexistent. And the stranger the buildings became, the shorter and more unfamiliar the streets were. Yuuri began to suspect he'd gotten himself somewhat lost.

He may have spent half his life in the city, but it was so impossibly huge he'd never been to every part of it. Far from it, he generally tended to stick to areas solely around the market and Yuuko's inn, occasionally venturing to the palace for deliveries. He wondered if they'd keep buying from him if this western threat got any worse, or if they'd start rejecting any foreign goods at all.

He supposed it didn't matter much, he was screwed anyway.

The street was empty, save a few hungover scamps scattered among alleys here and there. Yuuri had absolutely no clue where he was. He needed to stop. He didn't want to go back just yet, but wandering any further wouldn't do him any good. It was going to take him long enough to find his way back as it was without getting even more lost.

He spotted a small corner restaurant that looked to be a good enough place to stop a while. There were several carved wooden tables standing outside, and all Yuuri could think about was how they hadn't been stolen, especially for the part of town they were in. Of course, this place was so remote, he doubted many this far out would bother anyway. He scraped a chair roughly against the cobblestone, plopping down harshly in it.

He wasn't even that hungry, but he hadn't had anything but that pastry this morning so he supposed he should eat something. He slumped forward, hands folded on the top of the table. Its surface was polished, worn and old but surprisingly smooth. It was obvious someone cared deeply for it.

"What's got you so down?" Yuuri nearly jumped out of his seat at the voice. It'd come from behind him, another patron he hadn't even noticed. He didn't bother turning around.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to startle you," said the man with a laugh that sounded like church bells. It was familiar, but Yuuri was so mentally numb he didn't waste the effort in trying to place it.

Yuuri sighed, letting his eyes slide closed and leaning back in the chair, arms dangling uselessly at his sides. "Life," he said simply.

The other paused, perhaps nodding to himself. "A common ailment to so many," he said mysteriously, "But what, if I may ask, has it done to you specifically?"

Yuuri pinched the bridge of his nose, squeezing his eyes shut further. "A number of things. But most recently, it's rather completely fucked up any chance I'll have at keeping anything of a maintainable livelihood. Which...I don't really know how to feel about."

"Most people would feel quite upset, I'd assume."

"That's what you'd think. But I...well I don't feel anything exactly. I work as a merchant, see, and as one I know as well as anyone in the trade how much preferences can, what's the word,  _fluctuate_. One day you could be selling the hottest goods on the market and the next nobody cares enough to give you a second glance. I know this, know I always have to keep my options open. Work in varieties, have backup plans on backup plans, and yet...when I found out my current situation might be as good as gone I felt almost, well I almost felt relieved."

He seemed to consider this for a moment. "I suppose that is rather tricky then. I'd say...it means that you're not entirely satisfied as you stand now. Why not try something that makes you happier?"

Yuuri sighed. Obviously whoever this was far from knew how the world worked. He couldn't just...go around doing whatever he wanted. That would only result in hardship. "I wish I could. But sadly it doesn't work like that. Even if I  _did_ give up the whole merchant thing, I'd just be stuck taking over my parent's inn halfway across the country."

"And I'm assuming that wouldn't be much better."

"Well no, not really. I mean Ihavee nothing against inns, I grew up in one, it's just that...it doesn't seem nearly as fulfilling, don't you think? Sitting around listening to travelers exchange amazing stories about amazing places, but never actually getting to see any of it. I thought the same growing up as well: I suppose it's what made me realize I had to get out of there."

"You know when you put it that way, it does sound awfully boring. How about I rephrase that question, if you did have the chance to do anything, what would you do?"

"Anything?" Yuuri chuckled, considering his answer a moment. "I'd be an ice skater."

There was a pause, and then the stranger burst out laughing. Yuuri's face heated up right to his ears in humiliation at the stranger's overreaction. "I-I'm sorry, it was just so unexpected, but," he coughed out finally between guffaws, "What?"

"I would," Yuuri said defensively, ears growing hotter. "You said anything, right? That's what I would do. I'd ice skate. And all day I'd just skate and skate and nobody would even have to watch, or care. Or, maybe I could perform for nobles or something, for money, you know? Or--"

"You should do it," the stranger had stopped laughing, his tone dead serious, almost making Yuuri laugh himself.

"What? Really?"

"Why not? I'd love to watch you skate," the man cut off suddenly, clearing his throat before continuing, "Especially if it made you happy, why not try?"

Yuuri chuckled. What a strange person. They sounded so sure, so learned when they spoke and yet their practical knowledge was so severely lacking. "Yeah right. It's more likely I'll wake up a nobleman, free to spend my days lazing about like a sack of potatoes and letting the rest of the world deal with my problems, than make a living off  _ice skating_."

"That's not true," it was deadly silent, the words hanging in the air almost like a challenge.

"What do you--"

"Everyone has to deal with something. Nobody's just born free. I mean," he corrected quickly, forcing a lighter tone when he spoke next, "Don't assume somebody else's situation just because you think you have it worse."

Yuuri stared down at his hands, "Yeah, sorry. I guess I was being kind of insensitive. Especially with this whole border thing going on, if it's made my life such a nightmare, I can't imagine what it's done to  _them_ , huh?" Yuuri let out a small laugh, just to break the tension that had suddenly arisen.

"Oh you have no  _idea_."

"Wait, what do you mean by--"

"Speaking of, I really should be going. Say, where can I find you again?"

"What?" Yuuri began to turn around, but was stopped by two large, smooth hands pressed firmly against the sides of his head.

"No, I'd prefer if you didn't see me just now," he said softly. The stranger leaned forward, so close Yuuri could feel his breath against his cheek, and whispered into his ear, "You've caught my interest, Yuuri, and I would very much like to see you again."

Yuuri paused, words caught in his throat, refusing to come out. "N-nishigori Inn...on Main, it's," Yuuri swallowed loudly, "I-it's not too far from the palace..."

He seemed to consider that for a moment. Yuuri could almost feel the other smile for how close he was. He removed his hands, slowly, trailing his fingers gracefully across Yuuri's head in ways that made his chest tingle, but Yuuri didn't turn around. It had finally cliked whose voice it was, and at the moment he was immovable.

"You have my thanks," Victor said quietly, sending chills up and down Yuuri's spine.

Then there was the sound of wood scraping stone and Victor pulled away. Yuuri could hear him begin to make his way down the street.

"W-wait," Yuuri blurted out. Still not turning around. As if Victor might vanish the second he did, and he'd be left alone with the dream.

Victor paused. "How..." Yuuri's face reddened, "How did you know my name?"

"You dropped this," Victor was right behind Yuuri, arm extending over his shoulder to carefully place a small scrap of paper on the table in front of him. It was the note Yuuko had left him earlier. Yuuri froze.

And with that, Victor was gone again, heeled boots clicking rythmically on the cobblestone as he disappeared down the street. Only when he could just barely hear them did Yuuri finally turn around, straining to the point of almost knocking the chair over, just in time to see a long white ponytail bounce gracefully out of view.

The second Victor was out of sight, Yuuri melted, turning back and sinking so low in his chair he slid out of it and onto the ground. His legs felt like jelly and the rest of his body much the same. Which is how the server found him a few minutes later, red head to toe and unable to say a word.

She'd gotten so worried she kept trying to take him to the nearby apothecary, no matter how many times Yuuri assured her he was completely fine.

Yuuko found him a while after that. Apparently, she'd gotten worried and had decided to go out after him, concerned he'd zoned out and gotten himself lost as, admittedly, he had.

Yuuko rushed up to Yuuri, who was still slouched over in a chair. "Yuuri! Oh my god, are you okay? I was so worried after you walked out like that, and it was starting to get late, and...Yuuri why are you all red? What happened, did you catch something? Was somebody chasing you, Yuuri you've got to tell me what happened."

"Vic...tor..." Yuuri lulled before zoning out again.

Yuuko's brow furrowed, "What?"

"Victor...he was here, at that table, talked...to me..."

Yuuko's eyes widened, "Victor the prince Victor? You saw him  _again_? Yuuri, you can't have possibly--"

"Nope, it was him, totally completely him."

"Well, from the state you're in...god, maybe it was Victor. And you're sure he had the...?" She pointed at the top of her head where Victor's ponytail would have been.

"Uh huh, uh huh, I told you it was him, oh my god Victor. How on earth..." Yuuri trailed off incredulously, still having a hard time believing it himself. "Oh god!" Yuuri sprang up suddenly, slapping a palm to his forehead.

"What, what is it?"

"I called him a lazy sack of potatoes," Yuuri groaned, dragging his hand down his face and sinking lower into his chair.

Yuuko snorted, and Yuuri's ears went red, letting his brain go numb again. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I just watched...epis...ode...tw..e..lv..e.................
> 
> ((Sorry this is out kinda late, but it's one of my favorite chapter's so far, so enjoy))


	4. Seichas Net Snega, Durak

"Yuuri! Yuuri wake up!" Yuuko whispered harshly, shaking Yuuri's shoulder. He swatted her away, turning further into the blankets in response. "Yuuriiiii wake up, wake up, wake up, Yuuri wake up, wake up," she began chanting quietly, poking him harshly in the back which, to a half-asleep Yuuri, was far from amusing.

"What is it Yuuko," he griped, rolling over to glare sourly at her. He couldn't see much with his glasses off, but he set his eyes on her general, blurry shape. He threw his hand onto the stool beside the bed, pawing around for his glasses. He felt his hand hit them, only to accidentally knock them onto the floor. He grumbled, propping himself up on his elbow and reaching down to search for them.

He knew it was morning, it felt too late to be night, but what time it was, he hadn't a clue. Even though he couldn't see very well at the moment, he could tell it was incredibly early. The room was almost completely dark, only the flickering orange light of the yet-to-be-snuffed street lamps pushed through his open window. He must have forgotten to close it last night. Fingers finally landing on the unmistakable shape of his glasses, he shoved them on and batted Yuuko away again.

Yuuri propped himself up against the headboard, blinking around blearily in the dimly lit room. "What is it? It can't possibly be time to get up, it's not even close to dawn..."

"Yuuri, he's downstairs," Yuuko leaned down, cupping a hand to her mouth. She jammed a thumb over her shoulder at the door.

Yuuri blinked "...who?"

" _Him_." Yuuko's mouth fell into a tight line and she gave Yuuri a knowing look like he knew who on earth she was talking about.

"Yuuko, you're going to have to be more specific than that," Yuuri let out a huge yawn, stretching his arms high in the air. He swung over the edge of the bed so his bare feet were met with the cold wood of the floor. He shivered. "And was it really worth waking me up for?"

"Just, oh just come and see. I don't know what to do, with him," Yuuko seemed at a complete loss, which was rare for her. That had Yuuri's interest piqued at the least. And, he supposed, he was already awake. No sense in trying to go back to sleep now for only an hour or two more.

"Lemme get dressed first."

Yuuko nodded, gazing expectantly at Yuuri. He gave her a curious look. "So, um, maybe you could...?" he nodded toward the door.

"Oh! Oh yes, of course. Sorry, of course you'd want privacy."

Yuuri shook his head as the door creaked shut, wondering as he stripped his shirt off how on earth he'd ever managed to find a friend as weird as Yuuko was. She was waiting for him at the top of the stairs just as he was shrugging on his baggy jacket, rapping her fingers on her chin anxiously.

"Okay, now what's this all about?" Yuuri padded down the stairs after Yuuko, shooting her a curious glance.

"I-it's, I mean I have no idea what to, ah, Yuuri can I just--"

"You're starting to worry me Yuuko, there's not much that can get you this worked up," Yuuri half-joked. Yuuko shot him something of a pitying look. If Yuuri had been baffled before he was completely clueless now. Did this have something to do with him? "Really, you're going to need to be a bit more spe...cif..ic..." Yuuri trailed off as they reached the bottom floor, seeing for himself what had gotten Yuuko so worked up. Tapping lightly on the panes of the front window, calling  _his_ name, at god knows what hour in the morning, was Victor.

"O-oh. That." And Yuuri was falling, vision splotching black right before he hit the floor, face first.

His head hurt. Yuuri prodded cautiously at his forehead, hissing in pain when he made contact with a rather nasty bump that had formed there. He quickly retracted his hand, letting his eyes slide open. Someone had moved him onto his back, but not much further than that. He stared blankly up at the ceiling of the entryway where an old lamp on a rusted chain hung just above him, swinging slightly in the drafty hall.

"Oh! Yuuri, you're awake!" Yuuko appeared suddenly in his vision. Clenched in her hands was a wet rag, water dripping from it onto Yuuri's face. "Here," she kneeled down, placing the rag gently on his forehead. Yuuri grit his teeth at the shock of the cold water, but not moments later the dull throb in his head began to numb.

Pressing the rag to his head, gentle enough not to hurt but enough to keep it from falling, Yuuri slowly tried to sit up. Yuuko immediately reached out for his shoulder to support him but he waved her off, frowning slightly, "What happened..."

"Well..."

"Tell me Yuuri, do you make it a habit of swooning at the sight of every dashing young prince you see?"

Yuuri's eyes widened, body freezing, the pain in his head momentarily forgotten.

"No, so far only you," Yuuko put in helpfully. Yuuri shot her a daggered glare, but her eyes were turned elsewhere. Yuuri followed her gaze up to the dashing young prince himself as he gracefully made his way towards the pair.

"Oh, well don't I feel special," he sat down in one smooth motion on Yuuri's other side. Close. Really, really close. So close Yuuri could have just reached out and touched Victor's perfect white hair. It looked soft, really soft. Yuuri felt like he might faint again.

He could feel his face going red. He must not have hid it well because Victor smiled in response. "What are you doing here," Yuuri breathed, unable to find the energy to raise his voice above a whisper.

"Honestly?" Victor tapped a finger to his chin, "I got bored."

"Wha--"

"Wait, that sounded bad, let me clarify," Victor cut in, "Nobody over  _there_ is interesting. They're all stiff and proper and  _boring_. It's not that I didn't have anything else to do, far from it in fact I'm more overworked than I've been in my life, just that none of the work was particularly interesting. And you're so absolutely  _fascinating_ , Yuuri...well, I'll admit I haven't been able to get you out of my mind since yesterday. It was all I could do to keep from visiting you earlier."

Yuuri's jaw was slack, his mouth open so wide he probably looked like a snake. This was a dream. This was a dream, this couldn't be real. He must have hit his head pretty damn hard, because Victor, Victor  _the prince_ Victor did  _not_ just say that to him. Any of that.

Yuuri snapped his mouth shut. "I'm still asleep," he began to stumble to his feet, letting the rag fall to the floor. He began to sway, black spots forming around his eyes from rising too quickly. He began to tilt forward, nearly falling again before he was caught by two sturdy hands on either shoulder.

"Careful there sleeping beauty, you might just fall over and damage that pretty face of yours again." Yuuri could feel all the blood rushing to his head before he could feel the heat under his eyes. His insides felt like pudding.

"Heh--eh huh," was all he managed to get out, slack-jawed. Yuuko's eyes darted between Victor and Yuuri, gears visibly turning in her head.

"Well," she punctuated with a clap, "As much as I'd love to stick around and see how this pans out, I  _do_ have an inn to run, so if you'd excuse me..." Yuuko dodged out of the room. Yuuri called out to her with a silent look, because he doubted he'd be able to make anything but incoherent noises if he tried speaking right now. She was the only thing anchoring him in all this madness.

Victor seemed to only now realize he was still holding Yuuri. He carefully righted him, letting his hands linger over Yuuri's shoulders until he was sure the other had regained his balance.

And then Yuuri just stood there, mind barely moving fast enough to process any of this. Daydreams were one thing, and did he ever day dream about this day, though he never ever thought it a possibility. He'd imagined every scenario of him and Victor meeting again, even one like this. Where Victor would come to stay at the inn, he had no idea why he would when he lived ten minutes away, but, he would meet Yuuri there and they would talk and, well he realized he wasn't doing much talking right now, but all the same.

"Is this real?" he asked, more to himself than Victor, whom he still hadn't fully registered as being there.

Victor pursed his lips slightly, "Why wouldn't it be?" His tone had changed, falling into something more analytical than curious. It was just a bit harsher, not in a bad way, but...Yuuri's hands began to shake.

"Because the idea that a prince could have possibly seen anything at all in me is just so insane, if Yuuko hadn't been right here she'd have laughed if I told her," he said honestly.

"By why would that be odd? Me wanting to see you?" There was an underlying, cutting tone in Victor's words that Yuuri couldn't quite pick up.

"Because...I'm  _me_ and you're  _you_."

"Why should me being the prince have anything--"

"That's not what I meant," Yuuri cut in hastily, "I meant that, well, I'm not special. I'm bland, I'm uninteresting, all I do is walk around for a living, and I'm not even sure I'll be doing  _that_ much longer. But then you're so interesting, and lively and charismatic and kind, and you can make people feel warm inside just by talking to them I...I wish I could do that."

Yuuri fell quiet. Victor let the silence draw out, falling into thought. "You know," he broke in with a small laugh that sounded like wind chimes, "I'm pretty sure you're the only person that would ever describe me like that, Yuuri." Yuuri felt his heart skip a beat at the sound of his name. "After meeting me, I'm pretty sure the  _last_ thing most people would think to say was  _warm_.

"You're so much more than a merchant Yuuri. I've met merchants before, and I don't think I've met _anyone_  like you. And if you're so uninteresting, then why am I here?"

Yuuri blinked back the prickling sensation of tears he didn't expect to be there. He nodded. "I guess." His face fell, and he suddenly felt weirdly sad. Why? Hearing these things from Victor of all people, it should be boosting his self-confidence not getting him down. Victor gave him an odd look, like he was assessing him.

He lit up suddenly, grabbing both Yuuri's hands in his. "You said you wanted to be a skater, right? Let's go ice skating," he said excitedly.

Yuuri blinked. "B-but--what?! It's...it's practically still summer, where are we going to find any ice? And...that's not even the problem, I--"

"Shhh," Victor put a single finger to Yuuri's lips, immediately silencing him. "Here, I'll show you." He looked like a child, Yuuri thought, as he was dragged out the door. A small, excited, innocent child.

The streets were completely barren, too early or too late for anyone at all to be out. Just the smallest hints of silver lit the city, just the merest whispers of the beginnings of dawn.

Victor made a hard right suddenly, taking Yuuri off guard and almost knocking him off balance. He circled them right around the inn until they stood in a small courtyard behind it.

It was a small space, only accessible from the way they'd come, so hardly used. It was canopied by old birch and cherry trees, the cobblestones here overgrown with moss and dead leaves. Yuuri could see his window on the second floor from here.

Victor stopped, looking expectantly at Yuuri. He blinked, "Wait, here?"

Victor nodded happily, taking a perfectly measured step backward, separating from Yuuri. "Let's ice skate, Yuuri."

"B-but, the ice, this is just--"

Victor shook his head. "We don't need ice. Ice skating is just like dancing, but somewhere different. And you don't need anything to dance." With that, Victor held out his hand, bowing slightly. "Dance with me Yuuri."

Yuuri swallowed loudly, shakily placing his hand in the palm of Victor's. He gripped it tightly, long cold fingers clasping around his own. Yuuri's face heated up as Victor suddenly pulled him in, so they were only inches apart.

Victor led.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, I realize this is short. Really, really short, so sorry about that. But I'll make sure to put up an extra chapter before next week to make up for it (I was originally going to post weekly on Wednesdays but I kinda fell off that...). But I guess we'll see. Quick thank you to any and everyone who's left kudos and especially comments, it really does mean a lot to me.


	5. Ya Sozhaleyu Eta Glava Tak Pozdno

When Yuuri first opened his eyes, all he could see was a white brightness and he had to snap them closed immediately after. He blinked a couple times, eyes watering as he tried to get used to the drastic change in light. It was warm on his face and body, but not the right kind of warm. It felt hot and uncomfortable, like the sun was critically glaring at him. Like he was being silently judged.

His back hurt. His butt hurt. It felt like he'd been sleeping on bricks. He sat forward, arching his back and stretching his arms high above his head in an attempt to relieve some of the stiffness. He must have fallen asleep at some point, but he couldn't remember when. He was still at the patio behind the inn, leaned against the stone wall facing the back of it. He squinted out at the small area, teeming with weeds and inactivity, sifting through the muddled memories of earlier this morning. He must have drifted off, right after Victor had...

Yuuri's breathing hiccuped a second as he froze, mouth parted open in a partial yawn. Victor.

Yuuri relaxed again, falling back against the wall. He rubbed at the sleep in his eyes with the palms of his hands, hoping to regain some feeling in his face. He felt so disoriented. Maybe it had all been a dream. Sure felt like that now, it had been such a haze for him. Yuuri doubted it. He didn't have the imagination for something like that.

He faintly remembered being so exhausted he could barely stand, likely from getting less than five hours sleep his fourth day running. Or was it five days now? He supposed it didn't really matter. But if Victor hadn't been there, supporting his body weight as much as Yuuri himself had, he would have collapsed on the spot. The thought made him feel numb.

Maybe it had been Victor who finally laid him down against the wall, but who could say. Maybe he'd just sort of fallen there and Victor had let him be.

Yuuri sat there a while, enjoying the peace of the sun and the quiet lull of the morning crowd that drifted past the inn. Busy busy always busy. People always had to somewhere to be here, and while it was never dull during Yuuri's visits, it was always refreshing when he returned home, even just to get away from all the bustle of the city. But...

Yuuri blinked in confusion. Something seemed off. There shouldn't be people out yet, it was too early for people to be out yet. Yuuri's eyes snapped open, and he scrambled to his feet so quickly he nearly fell over.

"Shit, I overslept." Dread crawled up through his stomach, settling in his chest in an unfriendly lump. Yuuri caught himself on the wall loosely with one hand, still a bit unstable on his feet. He shook his head, rapidly opening and closing his eyes to wake up. He combed a shaky hand through his hair, just knowing it was going to stick up at odd angles if he left it that way but not caring a whole awful lot at the moment.

He pushed off the wall at a clumsy run, past the patio and around to the front of the inn. He burst through the front doors, horrified to find that most of the morning crowd had already disappeared, leaving a lonely Yuuko alone to scrub the tables.

"Morning, princess," she said without looking up.

"Wh-what time is it," Yuuri panted breathlessly.

She paused, "Not sure. Late. You just missed the morning rush. Victor left hours ago."

"No, no no no, please please tell me I haven't been asleep that long, uuuugggh," Yuuri wined desperately, hands pulling at his face.

"What, do you need to be somewhere or something? I didn't think you were setting up at the market until next week."

"Morning delivery," he grit out before bolting up the stairs without bothering to wait for a response. His room was at the front of the hall, and he'd never been more grateful for it. His merchant's sack was at the foot of the bed. He rushed over to it immediately, already on the ground sifting through it for the basket of spices he needed. The second his fingers wrapped around the familiar grainy surface he was out of there.

When he came back down Yuuko was waiting for him, hands on her hips and washrag hung haplessly over her shoulder. "Yuuri, what's up? It's not like you to forget about deliveries."

"Can't talk, late. So, so late," Yuuri made a run for the door, but was blocked by Yuuko's outstretched arm.

"Hold on a second, where are you off to?"

Yuuri let out a small, irritated groan. "I was supposed to make a delivery to the palace today, in the  _morning_ the  _early morning_ like  _sunrise_ early, Yuuko I have to go I'm late as it is."

She considered this for a second before nodding, "Go." She lifted her arm and Yuuri nodded in gratitude before he was out the door. "Good luck!" he heard her yell as he ran down the street.

It was hard to move quickly through so many people, and with a five-pound sack on his back no less. It was much smaller than the one he lugged to and from the capital, thankfully. He used it solely for palace goods as it was more water resistant than most of his other satchels, but more than that he'd had it specially made with a complicated series of buckles that prevented easy pick-pocketing. It was supposed to only be a precautionary as he rarely traveled through dense crowds when he was making deliveries, but today that was unavoidable.

Between mentally kicking himself for being such an idiot and frantically worrying he'd be too late, he thought about Victor. If he'd run into him at the palace, even. He knew it was unlikely, he wouldn't even be going inside the castle, but he held out hope nonetheless. It had happened once before, the first time he'd met the prince.

* * *

  _It had been hot. Far too hot for any sensible human being to be outside, yet there he stood. Nervous and trembling at the palace gate. The place was so much bigger than it looked from the streets of the capital, which wasn't helping Yuuri's anxiety. His tongue and throat felt like sandpaper, and Yuuri couldn't tell if it was from the nerves or the heat. It felt like his stomach was going to drop out the second he took a step forward and his heart like he'd just sprinted a mile._

_He'd gotten the letter several weeks ago, from a slightly bitter messenger that looked as old as he sounded. Back at his parent's inn. A personal request, from the palace's head chef, to meet with Yuuri in one month's time. He'd heard of the young merchants top of the line goods. He wanted to add a new, exotic flare to his cooking, so Yuuri had been the "obvious" conclusion he'd come to. Yuuri had nearly fallen over when he'd read it._

_It hadn't been the easiest trip over; it'd been his first time through the Dark Oak Wood. He'd made short commutes through it before, granted, but always on the outskirts. Never straight through it. The stories of beasts and creatures, things that should have died out long ago, that had kept him up at night as a kid almost kept him from making the trip at all. The forest was unavoidable though, as it was just about the only way to get to Capitol City._

_It had been Yuuko, actually, that had finally persuaded him to go._  How could you let this slip by. Once in a lifetime opportunity. This would be so good for business. Come on Yuuri, you aren't going to let some old kid's stories keep you from realizing your dream, are you?

_He had no idea what he'd do without her._

_She'd even made the first hour of the trip with him, which he was immensely grateful for. He suspected that if she hadn't he would have chickened out in the first ten_ _minutes and turned back._

_He'd have to remember to track down her dad while he was here. It was the least he could do. She'd given Yuuri a letter for him, as he'd recently opened an inn in the capital, leaving Yuuko and her mom behind until he'd settled everything._

_Yuuri swallowed past the dry lump in his throat, clutching the chef's letter tighter in his hands. Just the thought of Yuuko made him feel a little braver. He thought about what she'd say now, seeing him standing blankly right in front of the doors, too nervous to go in._

Stop stalling. Just go in, what's the worst that could happen, they turn you away? He asked you here by personal invitation, didn't he? It'll be fine, I've been there before with my dad they're all really nice. Don't let something as stupid as nerves get in the way of this, this is your dream isn't it Yuuri? To sell to the palace?

_Yeah, that's right. His dream, to be a top class merchant. And selling directly to the palace was pretty much as high as you could go. Yuuri took a deep breath in through his nose, letting it hiss slowly out through his mouth. Yuuko's, or rather imagined Yuuko's, words floated around in his head, as he took a step forward._

_And then another. The man at the gate asked him what business he had, and it was all Yuuri could do to shakily shove the letter at him. He read it over, nodding and muttering something to himself, before handing it back and admitting Yuuri inside. He stuttered out a thank you, before stumbling in._

_The place was huge. That was all Yuuri could think to describe it at first, there was so much to take in. So the most obvious thing to notice was the sheer size of it, even though he was only in the entry hall. It was so grand and intricate Yuuri was struck motionless the second he was through the doors. Anxiety momentarily forgotten, he spun around in wonder, taking in everything with an admiring gaze. The ceilings arched higher above his head than even some buildings stood, supported by tall pillars so beautifully carved Yuuri couldn't understand how anybody got anywhere without stopping by each one to admire it._

_A group of palace servants passed by, the odd looks they gave him shaking Yuuri out of his day dream. He was here for a reason. He was inside the palace. He had a reason to be here. He was inside the palace._

_He pulled to the side, out of the main hallway._

_The letter had included directions to the head chef's quarters, but they were a bit confusing. Yuuri had read them over so many times on his way here, he'd just assumed they would make more sense when he actually got to the palace. But, much to his dismay, they were just as confusing as before. If not more so._

_He couldn't turn back now. Not after getting so far, after already entering the palace. It was too late, or at least that's what he kept repeating in his head to keep himself from turning tail. He'd just have to...well he supposed he could ask someone for directions if he absolutely had to._

_He started down the hall at a brisk walk, trying as hard as he could to act like he knew where on earth he was going. It was on the first floor, he knew that much, as the chef's directions never mentioned anything about stairs, but they were so confusing otherwise Yuuri wasn't quite ready to rule out the option of a second or even third-floor trip. But, he decided, the first floor was a place to start at least._

_A few turns and corridors later, he began to realize how impossible an idea that had been. If the entrance hall had dazzled him, the magnitude of the rest of the palace had him speechless. He couldn't imagine how anyone could ever find their way around this place. But then...he couldn't turn back now. That would be like quitting, like giving up. Yuuri kept going._

_A fair amount of wandering later and he finally decided to admit that he was completely, absolutely lost. He'd somehow wound up in a courtyard of sorts, some small garden near the edge of the palace and so remote he was amazed he'd managed to stumble upon it at all._

_He couldn't see anyone in the enclosed space, but Yuuri supposed that didn't mean much as most of the garden was populated by very tall hedges that were hard to see over, especially for one of Yuuri's height._

_"Pardon me," Yuuri nearly jumped out of his skin at the sudden voice behind him. He hadn't noticed him at all, hadn't seen anyone follow him out, "But you look a little lost." Yuuri spun around, heart freezing when his eyes landed on pale silver hair and bright blue eyes._

The prince. _Yuuri's eyes widened. "Can I help? I'm quite familiar with the palace, I'm certain I can get you where you need to go."_

_His voice was like music, the subtle tones like the soft chiming of the rain. Gentle and smooth and kind and calculated. It was the prince, Yuuri was absolutely certain of it. He fit the description exactly, and it was a very specifically odd description at that. Yuuri had always thought it strange, someone so young with already gray hair. A boy, wearing it so long._

_But in person...no the stories did him no justice. His hair was like molten starlight, flowing gently from the tip of his head, through the simple red ribbon and down across his back._

_The color of his eyes was cold, but somehow they exuded nothing but warmth. And lips, perfect pink and curved up ever so slightly. Mysterious, that was the vibe Yuuri was getting._

_There was no other way for him to describe the man, he was beautiful. It was all Yuuri could do to keep his eyes wandering around the prince as one might admire a fine piece of art. Although he had enough muddled sense to realize how that might come off, so he restrained himself._

_There was this little flittery-fluttery thing going off in Yuuri's chest, something that was beginning to spread through his arms and legs to paralyze him. Beautiful. It was such an odd reaction, seeing someone he'd never met before in his life and feeling so strongly. An instant, almost natural reaction._

_Yuuri knew even then, didn't admit it but knew all the same. He had something of a hopeless crush on the prince, Victor._

* * *

Yuuri went right past the beautiful bricked arch of the front gates, not even sparing it a glance. He kept walking until he'd reached one edge of the palace, quickly finding the far more familiar stone path that ran around the castle to the back entrance where deliveries were made. The first time he was here, he'd been a guest. A partner to do business with. Now he simply came as a merchant.

Yuuri wondered, between panting breaths, if Victor remembered him. Well, obviously he did, but did he still remember that one summer so many years ago. It had been so long, and he'd been one awkward, bumbling merchant of a thousand the prince had surely encountered. So he doubted it.

It didn't really matter much now anyway. By some miraculous change in fate, Yuuri had found Victor again. And perhaps even more astounding, Victor had found something interesting in Yuuri...

He really needed to stop thinking about Victor, or he'd end up falling the next time he tripped.

Yuuri pattered to a stop the second he reached the back gates, bending over with his hands on his knees. He dragged in large breathes, trying to chase away some of the lightheadedness. "Yuuri!" Yuuri looked up, smiling at the voice even before he'd located its owner.

"Celestino," Yuuri breathed, straightening. "Ah," Yuuri sputtered, posture turning suddenly frantic, "I'm so sorry I'm late, just I've had an, uhn, interesting morning and I got kinda caught up in, well, I--"

Celestino waved a hand, "You worry too much Yuuri, you aren't that late. Don't worry, you've had an excellent record so far besides. And you're much better than the louts around here who think they run the place, selling to the palace and all. Really, tardiness isn't the only thing they, well, nevermind. We aren't here to complain about lazy merchants. Yuuri! It's so good to see you, it's been so long!" Celestino barked happily, clapping his hands firmly on Yuuri's shoulders.

"I-it hasn't been that long," Yuuri chuckled awkwardly, "I was just here last month."

"Ah, but it has! And this is your last trip this season isn't it? So I won't get to see the lovely Yuuri for such a long time after that. You know, we should go down to the tavern sometime, you and me, catch up on things. You've always been so loyal to me. I've heard nothing but good whenever I toss in some of your spices, especially that new dried stuff you brought me last time, excellent work as usual.

"But ah I get ahead of myself, we can talk later. I'll be late in lunch preparations otherwise. Now, did you bring the extra Cumin I asked for? It'll have to last us all winter, and it goes well with most hot dishes. Which as you could guess are very popular this time of year, so I hope you didn't skimp."

Yuuri laughed shyly, slipping the basket of spices off his shoulder and opening it for Celestino to see. He bent down, digging through bags of Coriander and Ginger, nodding and occasionally muttering to himself.

He popped the lid back on and slung the bag over his own shoulder. "You've come through once again my fine friend, as I would expect. You know I'm grateful as ever. Now," Celestino stepped back inside only a moment, before reemerging with an empty basket identical to the one on his back, from Yuuri's last trip over. "Here you are, and you're payment should be inside. Three hundred and fifty gold pieces. I threw in a little extra this time because you've been so good these past few years. Haha, well maybe I should take that out since you were so late this morning."

"O-oh, um..." Yuuri accepted the bag awkwardly.

"Don't take me so seriously, Yuuri, I'm just teasing you. I'll let your tardiness slide for this one time."

Yuuri let out something of an ingenuine chuckle.

Celestino smiled, observing Yuuri calmly with eyes so brown they'd always reminded the young merchant of melted chocolate. He could tell something was going through his mind as he observed Yuuri, but he'd already looked away before Yuuri could make anything of it.

"Well Yuuri, it's always a pleasure doing business with the best spice merchant in the country," Celestino's tone fell suddenly, much more somber, "And you've been so loyal to us. The least we can do is remain the same, despite everything." Celestino clapped Yuuri heartily on the shoulder twice, smiling widely and turning back into the castle.

Yuuri stared at the wall Celestino had turned behind for a while, the chef's words drifting through his head. He wasn't sure, Celestino was so hard to read sometimes and was more often confusing than not, but...No, surely, he was referring to the whole border upset. It couldn't be anything else, and if it was worth Celestino mentioning, that meant the severity of the issue was far more dire than the whisperings floating around the capital, exaggerated as they were.

Yuuri couldn't help but worry about Victor.


End file.
